Harry Potter and the Green Flame Torch
by AnneGurl87
Summary: Harry Potter suffers from the death of someone he loves, and he must prepare for the battle against Voldemort. Will the Ministry turn corrupt again? Will the magical world be able to unite after it's recent disunity to cleanse the world of evil? Read!
1. Forward

HARRY POTTER AND THE GREEN FLAME TORCH  
  
Forward  
  
This is my fanfiction version of the sixth book in the Harry Potter series. I have just finished reading "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" and I was suddenly inspired by it to write this. Don't worry, I am not selling it or pretending this is JKR's work. This is purely for your enjoyment before the book actually is published.  
  
Like JKR, I will not be constantly updating. This might take a year or more to write because I plan to make it VERY long. Also there are not many rumors about book 6 out there, so I am basically making this up as I go.  
  
WARNING: If you have not yet read the fifth book, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", this may not be the fanfic for you. Some events from it may be mentioned, and spoiled for you, so I would advise you to read that book first.  
  
Well read on then, if you have read book 5!  
  
- Courtney 


	2. A Bittersweet Birthday

Chapter One: A Bittersweet Birthday  
  
Harry Potter, a young wizard, was sprawled out on a bed in a stuffy little room in his aunt's and uncle's house. He was back at 4 Privet Drive for the summer vacation from school. Of course, Harry could hardly call it a vacation. He had never considered the Dursley's house his home, perhaps because they hated him and his kind. Harry was in his bedroom, which had once belonged to his cousin Dudley, and he lay on his bed thinking.  
  
"I wish I could go back in time. I wish I could use that time turner Hermione and I used a couple of years ago. We saved Sirius once, too bad you can't save someone from death," Harry thought mournfully.  
  
Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, had perished in the attempt to save Harry from one of Voldemort's schemes which had brought him into the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic. Of course, Harry had thought that he was saving his godfather from Voldemort by going to the Department of Mysteries, not that he was endangering his life.  
  
"Dumbledore did tell me that it wasn't my fault. But it was, you know," Harry said aloud. He wasn't really speaking to anyone, but his owl Hedwig hooted soothingly.  
  
Harry sat up upon hearing her call. She had just been outside stretching her wings, because Harry had not let her out all summer. He was too depressed to send letters to his friends. He really had wanted to correspond with Sirius, but now that Sirius was gone, he felt that he had no use for Hedwig.  
  
"Sorry Hedwig. If he was still around." Harry couldn't finish what he was saying. Speaking about Sirius made him on the verge of tears, and Harry didn't want to cry. He could imagine how Dudley would never let him live it down if he found Harry in his bedroom with tears streaming down his face.  
  
Suddenly Harry heard something flapping behind him, and he felt the hot air in his tiny room being moved around. It felt like someone was fanning him. Harry turned around and found four owls flying stationary behind him. They perched themselves on top of Hedwig's cage, and she hooted angrily at their intrusion of her space, but let them stay there anyway. One of the owls collapsed, and lay on top of the cage pushing the other three towards the edge of the cage.  
  
"Poor Errol. When I graduate and get a job I'll buy the Weasleys a new owl. They are my family, especially now." Harry laughed weakly at Errol's predicament, and Hedwig hooted softly. She was human like to Harry, and she seemed pleased that he had laughed for the first time in months. "All right then, let's see what you've got for me."  
  
Harry took three pieces of parchment off the unconscious owl's leg, and tossed them onto his bed. Then he turned to the other owls. He was surprised that one of them was not Ron's crazy owl Pigwidgeon, but then he realized why Ron had avoided sending him mail through Pig. Sirius had given Pig to Ron as a consolation gift for ridding him of his rat Scabbers who had turned out to be a death eater. Ron was trying to respect Harry's feelings about his godfather's death by not causing him to think about him unnecessarily.  
  
Harry then untied the parcels that the remaining owls had brought to him, and he began to read through the letters and gifts he had received, as it was his sixteenth birthday. "Some birthday," Harry thought glumly as he began to read the letters from the Weasleys.  
  
"Happy Birthday Harry!  
  
Hey Harry. Is your summer all right? The muggles treating you okay? Of course Mad Eye Moody will have a cow if they don't. I wish I could see him showing up at your front door with his magical revolving eye, freaking out the Dursleys. I would laugh so hard.  
  
I am sorry about Sirius. I know you might not want to talk about it, and if you don't I am sorry I mentioned him. If you do though, I'll always be there. So will my parents. Ever since they met you, you have become their 8th child. Well, their 7th actually, because Mum and Dad have basically disowned Percy, the great prat!  
  
Well Happy Birthday, and be happy. Sirius obviously loved you as a son. He tried to save your life, and he died a hero. Now he can be with your mum and dad, who he probably has missed for a very long time. So don't feel guilty, it wasn't your fault. In some ways his death probably came as a good thing to him.  
  
I hope you like your present.  
  
Your best friend,  
  
Ron"  
  
Harry smiled. Of course Ron would mention Sirius in his letter, and try to make Harry feel better about his death. Hermione would hear about it later and scold him for being insensitive to Harry's feelings, like she always did. Poor Ron, he did try, but it was never good enough for Hermione. Harry knew that Ron fancied her, and he felt bad because Hermione was constantly attacking Ron for being himself. He understood that Hermione was just trying to make him be the best he could be, but sometimes Ron just wanted to be able to be who he really was. He sometimes wanted to be the unimproved Ron.  
  
Harry dropped Ron's letter and opened the gift which accompanied it. Inside was a book about the Chudley Cannons, Ron's favorite Quidditch team. Harry was pleased to have a diversion from his life. He loved Quidditch and now that he had a book about it, he could think about something other than Sirius. Harry slipped the book onto his bedside table so that he could read it later that night, then he read through the other two letters from the Weasleys.  
  
"Dear Harry,  
  
I am dreadfully sorry about your godfather's death. He was a good man, even though he got on mum's nerves constantly. I am proud of you for trying to save him, even though I realize that it was what Voldemort wanted you to do. How were you to have known? After all the other dark visions you had had were real.  
  
Well Happy Birthday, and don't think too much about your loss. Ron sent you a book about our hometeam didn't he? It was also from me, but Ron didn't mention that. I would have sent you something else, but poor Errol could barely make the journey from the Burrow to your house as it was.  
  
Love,  
Ginny"  
  
Harry smiled. "Yes, I am definitely going to buy them a new owl. After all they consider me to be part of the family."  
  
Then he dropped Ginny's letter and picked up the roll of parchment which contained words of sympathy from Ron's parents.  
  
"Dear Harry,  
  
We are sorry that Sirius died, but he died an honorable hero. He will never be forgotten by the Order. Now Harry, don't fret about it. We have written to Dumbledore, and he agreed to be our secret keeper so that you can stay at our home without the threat of being attacked by you-know-who. I do hope you thank him for us when you return to school. Now Happy Birthday dear.  
  
Oh yes, we are hoping that you can come to our home by August 3rd. That gives you a few days to pack. Fudge has arranged for an invisible ministry car to bring you to The Burrow at 5 pm on the 3rd. Please be ready by then.  
  
Love, Mr. And Mrs. Weasley"  
  
Harry smiled. He was beginning to feel happy for the first time that summer. He grabbed a quill and dipped it into his inkwell. Then he quickly scribbled his assent and thanks on the bottom of the parchment before sending the letter back with Errol. Of course he cared for the poor owl first.  
  
Harry then eagerly reached for Hermione's parcel. She had not written him a long letter, which was unusual for her, but she did of course explain the purpose of her gift in the letter, so Harry knew what it was before unwrapping it. Hermione had never failed to babble on about her gifts. This did not bother him though. It was just Hermione's way of doing things.  
  
"Dear Harry,  
  
Happy 16th Birthday! Cheers! I hope you enjoy your gift. It will hopefully help you in your studies to become an auror. I do hope you received enough O.W.L.'s, but I am sure you did Harry, you are an intelligent wizard, though you and Ron both are incredibly lazy. Of course I did not write this letter to chide you, so just do read the Auror book.  
  
Well, I hope to see you at the Burrow on August 3rd. Now don't mope too much about Sirius. He is in a good place, and he is now with his best friend and his best friend's wife (your parents), so he should be happy where he is.  
  
Love, your friend,  
  
Hermione"  
  
Harry sighed and shook his head because he was trying to hold back his laughter. He had known what his best friends' letters would say before reading them. Of course he knew everything about Ron and Hermione, having known them both for six years, so this was understandable. Harry tossed the auror book on to his bedside table to join the book from Ron, and he opened the letter with the Hogwarts seal on the back.  
  
"Dear Harry Potter,  
  
This is Professor Dumbledore and I have taken the responsibility to send you everything that you will need to know before returning to Hogwarts this year. First I have sent you a gift. It is not because I favor you over the other students, but I am sure that my gift will be very important for you to use in the following two years. It is a pensieve. It will help you to dwell on your thoughts so that you can be better prepared to battle Voldemort when the Second War begins.  
  
Now I also have your O.W.L scores to show you. I do hope that you are pleased with them.  
  
Defense Against the Dark Arts: O  
  
Transfiguration: E  
  
Potions: O  
  
Charms: E  
  
Divination: A  
  
Astronomy: A  
  
Care of Magical Creatures: E  
  
D = .5 O.W.L  
  
P = 1 O.W.L  
  
A = 1.5 O.W.L  
  
E = 2 O.W.L  
  
O = 3 O.W.L  
  
The greatest possible O.W.L's you can receive is 21.  
  
You have received a total of 15 O.W.L. In order to become an auror, you need at least 8 O.W.L total from the following four courses: Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Transfiguration, and Charms. You have 10.  
  
Congratulations Harry Potter, you have the aptitude to continue your studies in preparation for a career as an auror."  
  
Harry was delighted by his O.W.L results. He wondered how he managed to get his best scores in Potions. It was probably because without Snape there during the examination he had been able to concentrate on his work.  
  
Harry then finished reading Dumbledore's letter.  
  
"You will need three new books for your advanced N.E.W.T level studies in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Transfiguration, and Charms.  
  
"Auror Level Defense Studies" by Alastor Moody.  
  
"Advanced Transfiguration: by Ina Corpus  
  
"High Level Potion Brewing" by Celius Martia  
  
"Advanced Charms" by Ina Corpus  
  
Thank you Harry. I hope you are now ready for your sixth year at Hogwarts, and don't forget to use your new pensieve.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Professor Dumbledore"  
  
Harry glanced over the book list again, and he realized that the Auror book that he had received from Hermione was going to be his new textbook for Defense Against the Dark Arts. He wondered how she had known to get him that book. It was probably just an odd coincidence, because how would she have known his O.W.L results before him?  
  
Harry sent away the three remaining owls that had delivered his birthday letters and gifts. He felt elated that he had the opportunity to become an auror. He wished Sirius was there to share the moment with him, but he surely was watching over Harry, knowingly.  
  
Harry slipped into bed and read the Quidditch book into the wee hours of the morning. 


	3. Harry's New Home

Chapter Two: Harry's New Home  
  
Harry awoke on August 3rd, eager to leave the hostility at 4 Privet Drive, and eager to see his friends again. And he would give them a proper greeting this year. Last summer he had met them at Sirius' mother's house where his anger at being stuck in the muggle world, and being told to sit tight and let the grown ups deal with Voldemort's resurrection, had erupted at them. Of course it hadn't really been Ron's and Hermione's fault. They had been forced by Dumbledore not to tell Harry anything. At the time Harry was going through puberty, so his crazy hormones didn't help his crazy life at all.  
  
Harry shoved his wand into his trouser pocket, and grinned noticing that the pocket was not deep enough to hide its tip. This ought to set the Dursleys off into a tantrum. Vernon and Petunia would be terrified that the neighbors would see Harry's wand poking out of his pocket and then that they would be branded as abnormal, which was their worst fear. Of course, they didn't need magic to ensure their abnormality. Their muggle son Dudley certainly took care of that for them. Harry grinned in spite of himself at this thought. He actually pitied Dudley. He was such a stupid oaf, he would have fit in well with Draco Malfoy's blockhead "guards" Crabbe and Goyle, had he had a drop of magic blood in his veins. Of course, Dudley was also growing in terms of his weight, if that was possible as he had long ago achieved his goal to be wider than he was tall. The diet that his school nurse had put him on two summers ago had failed, and hardly had an affect on eating away at Dudley's bulk.  
  
Harry finished packing his trunk, and he grabbed his auror book, and plopped down on his bed to begin reading it. The first chapter was about famous aurors of the past. Many names of long conquered dark wizards were given in the biographical sketches of dead and gone aurors. The sun was beginning to rise and Harry knew that the Dursleys would soon be awake. Of course they rarely bothered him. Vernon had been subdued by Mad Eye Moody's magical eye when he warned him not to upset Harry in any manner. Oddly enough, Harry heard a sharp tap on his bedroom door within ten minutes of the sunrise.  
  
"Boy! Get up quickly! Dudley is having a party, so you will go downstairs and clean up the kitchen!"  
  
It was his Aunt Petunia. Harry could imagine the havoc Dudley and his friends would reek all through the house. It was almost a pity he wouldn't be there when the Dursleys would have to clean up the mess. He knew that if he had been there, they would have ordered him to clean it, and Mad Eye would have been there in a jiffy to sort out the problem. Harry stood up and opened the door.  
  
"Of course Aunt Petunia." He smiled like a perfect angel. She stood there gawking at him. Ever since he had told them about his murdering godfather, he had been quite free to refuse to clean for them. Why in heaven's name was he not putting up a fight? "Oh and by the way. I won't be here after five o'clock tonight. I am certain you will be glad to be rid of me." The stairs creaked beneath Harry's feet as he slipped downstairs into the Dursleys' kitchen to begin the tedious job of cleaning it.  
  
About ten hours later Harry was sitting outside on the steps where he had lain as an infant sixteen years before, waiting to be discovered by the Dursleys. He was now waiting for the sound of a car horn, which would distinguish the ministry car from any other, non-magical vehicle. The horn would only be audible to magic folk, so none of the Dursleys' neighbors would be peering out their windows wondering where the sound had come from. While Harry thought about the car horn he heard it, and he slipped his invisibility cloak over his shoulders and it trailed behind him on the burning hot pavement. It wouldn't do for the neighbors to see someone boarding an invisible car either, that was why Harry used his cloak. As he stepped into the car he saw a boy with red hair gawking at him.  
  
"Hey mate. You're lookin' good."  
  
"Oh yes. I am sure I am, but I am also sure you can't tell because you can't see me," and Harry's cloak slipped off of him onto the floor. He heard someone giggle, and he knew it couldn't have been Ron.  
  
"Wow Hermione. I wasn't aware that you had mastered the art of girlish giggling," Harry teased her. He knew that Hermione hated to be accused of behaving in any way, shape, or form like a silly, brainless, girly girl. Then he saw a shock of ginger hair tumbling over the seat in front of him. Ron was sitting in his seat laughing at Harry. He snorted rather loudly, and then turned it into a hacking cough, to avoid looking suspicious. "Oh, hello Ginny. When did you show up?" Harry asked politely, ignoring his best friend's attempt to disguise his laughing fit as a coughing fit.  
  
"That was me laughing you know Harry. You really ought to check in with who people are before you start making personal comments about them." She giggled again.  
  
"How's Dean Thomas, Ginny?" he asked. "There's a personal comment only you can answer."  
  
"Oh Harry. How sweet. You were listening so well to me that you mixed up a comment with a question," her voice dripped like honey off her tongue. "And I am afraid I can not tell you the answer."  
  
Harry looked to Ron for an answer. "Oh they broke up. Dean was a nice guy but he wasn't Ginny's type."  
  
"Nope. He was a terrible kisser," Ginny winked at Harry through the rearview mirror. She could see Ron's face turning red in anger.  
  
"Relax mate. She's trying to get to you. Don't let her win," Harry told Ron, whose ears were beginning to steam, and who was practically frothing at the mouth. Ginny reached back and poked Harry's shoulder. He turned around to face her.  
  
"Hey Harry. Look at Ron. See he is transforming into a werewolf, that's why he's foaming at the mouth. You see he got bitten by one about a month ago."  
  
Harry nodded at her. "Ahhh yes, of course. By a werewolf. And would that werewolf have been Hermione by any chance?" he winked suggestively at Ron. Ginny had no idea that her brother fancied the bushy-haired witch, so she didn't comprehend Harry's comment.  
  
Ron's blush crept onto his neck and ears. Now most of his upper body was burning a brilliant scarlet color. "Why would you think that Harry?" Ron asked, reaching for his wand so he could hex him to London and back.  
  
"Where did this werewolf bite you Ron?" Harry continued to tease his best friend mercilessly.  
  
"Yes. You never told me either, brother of mine," Ginny said. She still had no idea what Harry was talking about, but she decided to play along anyway.  
  
"Er. On my arm," Ron said, avoiding both his sister's and Harry's eyes.  
  
"Are you sure she didn't bite you on the lips?" Harry asked.  
  
Ginny gasped, she was beginning to catch on. "Oh dear me. It was a female werewolf, was it Ron?"  
  
"Shut it! Both of you!" Ron shouted. "I don't fancy Hermione!"  
  
"You said it, not us," Harry winked at Ginny, who was enjoying humiliating her overprotective brother very much.  
  
"Driver. How far are we from our destination?" asked Ron, desperate to get out of the car and escape from the taunting.  
  
"Oh about five minutes Mr. Weasley. Miss Weasley do sit down. There are some sharp curves coming up," the driver told her. Ginny slid down into her seat and out of sight.  
  
Harry leaned back and reached for his auror book, much to Ron's relief. He was afraid he would lose control and really hex Harry. Breaking a law written and enforced by the ministry, especially in front of a ministry driver, would have gone over really well.  
  
"We're here!" the driver called out. Ginny slid out of the car, with Ron and Harry following. Hermione and the rest of the Weasleys were out in the garden waiting for them to arrive. Harry met Hermione next to a bed of bleeding hearts and she threw her arms around his neck, delighted to see him. Harry looked over her shoulder at Ron who was struggling to not make his envy obvious. Harry mouthed to Ron," You should go join those flowers, after all you have a bleeding heart."  
  
Ron glowered at him, and Hermione forcefully turned Harry's head so she could give him a friendly peck on the cheek. When Hermione released him, Harry was enveloped in Mrs. Weasley's arms. She kissed his forehead.  
  
"Oh you poor dear!" she said. "I am so sorry you lost your godfather Harry. You seem to attract trouble though, don't you."  
  
Harry blushed crimson. It was all very well that the Weasleys considered him one of the gang, but really, did she have to get all mushy gushy like she was his mother?  
  
Fred and George found Harry's discomfort incredibly amusing, and they grabbed Ginny by the neck of her robes pulling her to them.  
  
"Oh Ginny. You poor dear!" they said, mimicking their mother's voice.  
  
Ginny slipped out of their arms before they could lay a sloppy one on her forehead.  
  
"Well. I'll bet Harry would like to get settled in. He must be really tired and hungry," Ginny said loudly, to save him from further humiliation.  
  
"Oh yes. He must be hungry. Harry, would you like a chocolate frog?" Fred dangled one in front of his face.  
  
"No thanks guys. I don't really have an appetite for your fake chocolate frogs," Harry smirked. "Although I do support your business, I will not be eating any of your inventions."  
  
Fred sighed and shrugged. "Well, at least buy some from us. Leave them lying around where those stupid oafs of Malfoy's will find them. Then take that Creevey kid's camera, and send us a few snapshots. Would do for a good laugh, and a picture for our shop!"  
  
Harry grinned. The twin Weasleys had not changed at all. They had not even graduated from Hogwarts, and Dumbledore had offered to take them back for the month or so that they would require in order to do so, but they refused to close their joke shop for so long. "Nah. We need the profits." George had told Dumbledore, unconcern about his education dripping from his tongue. Mrs. Weasley had not been amused at all, but Dumbledore thought their ambitions in life to be quite hilarious.  
  
"All right then boys," he had said. "Do send me some samples of your work. Oh and I would advise you to jokify the muggle sweet, a lemon drop. That would send loads of buyers into your shop," he had shooed them out of his office, wondering who was going to take over the mischief at Hogwarts now that they were gone.  
  
Harry was standing there in the garden lost in his thoughts when he felt someone's breath on his ear.  
  
"Harry. Are you planning on joining us?"  
  
It was Ginny. Harry nodded to her, still rather lost in his mind.  
  
"Oh Gin. Thanks for helping me out earlier. Saved me from any more embarrassment," he said referring to Mrs. Weasley's motherly kisses.  
  
"Oh, of course Harry. You poor dear," she tacked on at the end, just to ruffle him up a bit.  
  
"Crazy girl," Harry said, ruffling her ginger curls. "So has your mum cooked us something splendid for supper?"  
  
"Oh yes. She has been planning a feast for days Harry. You really have made us all pay. Mum threatened to wallop Ron with her broomstick every time he opened a food cabinet," Ginny giggled. "Of course don't tell him I told you."  
  
"I wouldn't dream of it Gin," Harry smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist. Then they took a shortcut through the garden, being careful not to tread on any plants, on their way into the Weasley's small and humble home.  
  
"Home," Harry said dreamily. "I feel like I am home."  
  
Ginny smiled at him. He gazed down into her sunburned face. She looked adorable anyway. He had never looked at her in that way before, of course Ron hadn't allowed him to, but he had never felt the desire to do so before either. Ginny was a very pretty young woman, and Harry felt slightly attracted to her. He bit back his sudden, inexpicable desire to kiss her and looked away for a moment. What was he doing? Ginny was like Hermione to him. She was like the sister he had never had, or was she soon to become more? Harry banished all thoughts of such foolishness from his head, and he and Ginny skipped into the kitchen where Harry did indeed find a feast. All throughout dinner Harry felt an emptiness inside him being filled. He no longer lacked the love of a family. He finally felt like he belonged somewhere, and was shocked to find it wasn't with Sirius. Yes, he had loved Sirius like a father, but he had really sought a family all his life, and now he had found one that he could finally call his. The Weasleys were kin through love, not flesh and blood, but that hardly mattered. No longer did Harry consider Hogwarts to be his only home. He smiled at the Weasleys as he ate, thinking that his parents were probably watching over him, pleased to find that he had found love in the living. 


End file.
